In our ‘living room’, Karin van den Boogaert and Carolien Cleiren receive all manner of World Music performers.
Aleksandra Popovska and Zoli Soos were guests in Acoustic Roots at Podium Oost, Utrecht.
Aleksandra Popovska is a Dutch-Macedonian mezzo-soprano, composer, singing teacher and conductor, piano player and flautist. Her background is as many-sided as her career. She grew up in what used to be Yugoslavia and enjoyed her education in Serbia, Macedonia, the Netherlands and England. Her life and her creative work are both formed by the Balkans and the West. She graduated at the HKU in Utrecht with a BSc, Master of Management and Master of Philosophy. She has also studied at the Portsmouth University (UK) and the University SS. Cyril & Methodius in Skopje (MK). There, she studied the following subjects: voice, composition, music production and choirmaster.
She started her international career in 2000 as singer and piano player in the Dragan Dautovski Quartet and performed on many international stages. She also took part in more than twenty CD recordings in different musical genres. She is a creative, musical jack-of-all-trades who also makes songs using children’s toys like a musical box (you will hear this during the episode).
Zoli Soosis a guitar player and singer, he is involved in several bands and projects. He is also the frontman of the band Vinsky. After a year at the conservatory (drums popular music), Zoli decided to focus more on producing. At the HKU, he studied composition and music production. He received two Masters, a Master of Arts (cum laude) and a Master of Music. Here, he also met Aleksandra Popovska, and this led to a close musical collaboration and friendship. They write songs together, perform in the band Vinsky and as a duo. Thanks to the excellent guitar playing by Zoli, Aleksandra is free to explore things with her voice.
In the interview with Karin van de Boogaerdt, Aleksandra says she also sings in a made-up language. Because of that, she has a lot of freedom to express herself in sounds, and she uses a lot of expression in her voice and facial expressions.
Playlist:
1. Lost Dream, Aleksandra solo
2. Zanata e (Woman is….), Aleksandra solo
3. Uci me majko, karaj me (Teach me, mother), Aleksandra solo
4. Ljubov (Love), Aleksandra solo
5. Si zaljubiv edno mome, Zoli and Aleksandra
6. In the village, Zoli and Aleksandra
7. Kumanovka, Zoli and Aleksandra
8. Aber dojde Donke (Donka), Zoli and Aleksandra
9. Lazi, Lazi, Vere (Lie to me Vere), Zoli and Aleksandra
10. Pavle mi pie (Pavle is drinking), Zoli and Aleksandra
11. Morning Morgantown, Joni Mitchell, Zoli and Aleksandra
Produced by:
